


The Possibilities

by Angel_Negra



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: AU - Neighbors, Canon AU - Agents of SHIELD Team Formed Differently/Not Formed, Canon AU - Characters Met Differently, Canon AU - Use of Comics Canon, F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-23
Updated: 2014-06-23
Packaged: 2018-02-04 21:06:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1793236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angel_Negra/pseuds/Angel_Negra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if…?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Possibilities

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rivulet027](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rivulet027/gifts).



> Ok, I couldn't resist using the 'use of comics canon' AU as an excuse to have fun with the Marvel 'What If?' series. Hope you like this, sweetie. :) And thanks to Pocky for the support!

**Marvel Cinematic Universe: WHAT IF… Natasha Romanov and Melinda May were neighbours?**

 

It had been a long mission, though it had earned her a promotion of sorts. Natasha stifled a yawn as she stumbled into her apartment building. The woman from 4C was holding the elevator for her. Nat blinked stupidly at her for a second before the woman raised an expectant eyebrow at her. "Thanks," Nat muttered, picking up her pace. She wasn't the kind of person who blushed, but she was sure her face would be red if she was.

The woman simply nodded at her and pushed the button for their floor.

Nat wracked her brain, trying to think of something to start a conversation about. Small talk was so much easier when she was undercover. Less danger of sliding into classified areas. She finally decided to try a very corny 'come here often?' line when the elevator dinged, making her jump slightly. The doors slid open and Nat followed her neighbour out onto their floor.

The woman stopped in front of Nat's apartment and spun abruptly to face her. "Melinda May," she said.

"Hi. Natasha Romanov," said Nat, smiling. She suppressed the urge to fidget nervously. "It's nice to finally know your name."

Melinda shrugged a shoulder. "You finally have clearance."

What? "What?" she said.

"Tomorrow, eleven am, at the cafe around the corner from Triskelion," said Melinda, stepping into Nat's personal space.

Nat took a second to fight down her adrenaline surge and not start swinging fists. "New mission?" she asked, keeping eye contact with Melinda. Potential scenarios were popping up in her mind now, sleeper agents, Hydra-

"First date," said Melinda with a faint smirk. She leaned forward and pecked Nat on the lips before spinning on her heel and heading into her own apartment.

Nat blinked in surprise, resisting the urge to touch her lips, before letting herself into her own apartment and making a beeline for the phone. Coulson owed her some serious answers.

 

**Marvel Cinematic Universe: WHAT IF… Melinda May and Lady Sif met before Agents of SHIELD?**

 

"I seem to remember," said May, pausing to kick a minion in the throat, "someone promising me that this would be a milk run." She spared a pointed glance at Coulson before smashing her fist into the last minion.

"So our information was outdated," said Phil, tossing an unconscious minion to the side. "Von Strucker was closer to finishing his machine than we thought."

"You think?" May muttered sarcastically as she rounded the corner. The room was a disaster. Unconscious minions and broken, sparking equipment was scattered all over the room. In the centre of the room was a beautiful woman dressed as an ancient warrior, panting heavily. When she caught sight of May's team, she wearily raised her fists. May suppressed a smile; she could admire that kind of determination.

"We're here to help!" said Coulson, raising his hands in defence. "We're from an organization called SHIELD…"

But the woman wasn't listening. She'd taken one step towards them and then slowly sank to the ground, unconscious.

May approached cautiously to check her pulse. "Maybe it was something you said," she said.

**  
Three weeks later  
**

"You know that supposed milk run was my last mission," said May when Coulson slid a file onto her new desk.

"All you have to do is help acclimate her to Earth."

May tried to ignore him. She cracked after two minutes, she was getting so soft. "Sif?"

"We've hired an expert in astrophysics to reverse engineer Von Strucker's work, but it's going to take Dr. Foster a while to do it and we can't just keep our visitor stuffed in one of the barracks rooms."

May raised an eyebrow at him.

"She keeps breaking all the exercise equipment. Hill's starting to look a bit frazzled at the paperwork." Coulson gave her a tiny hopeful smile.

"No actual field action?" said May, ignoring how Coulson's smile grew.

"Well, maybe a rugby field. She might like that."

May opened up the file, taking in the large head shot of Sif. "I'm dating her as a distraction?" she said, knowing Phil would get the joke, but that Henderson from two desks over wouldn't and would be quietly having a coronary about everyone ignoring his ethics memos again.

"Well, get to know her first," Coulson allowed.

Looking up from the file, May stared at him for a second before rolling her eyes. "You meet one cellist…"

"She's a very nice lady." Coulson smiled softly.

May huffed in amusement and closed the file.

**  
One week later  
**

May grunted as Sif pushed her up against the wall and kissed her hard. Opening her mouth, May threaded her fingers in Sif's hair and used the grip to hang on as Sif hooked May's legs around her waist. Sif broke the kiss to suck a hickey onto May's throat and May laughed. "So rugby's a good choice, then."

 

**Marvel Cinematic Universe: WHAT IF… Clint Barton joined the Agents of SHIELD?**

 

Clint slouched in the interrogation room chair and glared at Assistant Director Hill. "I handled that mission just fine."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "You ignored your back-up, nearly blew a fellow agent's cover by-"

"Ward was taking too long and it was going to lead him to blowing his cover all on his own!" Clint snapped.

"-by shooting him in the ass," Hill finished forcefully, crossing her arms. "You may have been instrumental in stopping the invasion in New York, Agent Barton, but you're turning into a real wildcard."

"I'm handling it," he said, fighting to keep his expression from sliding into what Tasha called his 'cranky, pouty face', which was not a thing.

"Yes," said Hill, glaring at him. "Badly. So badly that I'm putting you on a mandatory team. You will participate. You will not ditch them. And you will listen to Agent Coulson or I'll personally walk you down to medical so you can assist in Agent Ward's recovery as his sponge bath nurse."

Clint felt himself freeze at Coulson's name. "Phil's dead."

"We were keeping this under wraps," said Hill, looking a bit apologetic.

"I'm clearance level 6," Clint said flatly.

"Welcome to level 7," said Phil softly, stepping into the light.

Clint couldn't breathe properly. "You son of a…"

Phil glanced at Hill. "Give us a moment?" She nodded and let herself out of the room. Phil turned back to him. "Technically, I did die. I just… didn't stay dead."

"I want a divorce," said Clint around the lump in his throat.

Phil shrugged a shoulder. "Kinda have to be married for that to work."

"Fine." Clint didn't roll his eyes. "Marry me."

"Ah, then annulment?"

"No," said Clint, standing up and reaching out to touch Phil's shoulder. He had to make sure this was real. "No, after this, you owe me a consummation, you bastard."

"We're going to be on an active, mobile team," said Phil, smiling slightly. "Might take a while to find time for a divorce then."

Clint clenched his hands into the sides of Phil's suit to hide the shaking. "Fine. But no dying again to get out of it. You owe me this."

"I do."

End.


End file.
